Japan to Import Shale Gas from Canada

Japan is soon expected to strike a deal with Canada on imports of shale gas to meet its energy needs, Xinhua reported citing local media reports Sunday.

An agreement would be reached between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper on Tuesday during Abe's upcoming visit to the North American country, Kyodo news agency said, citing unnamed Japanese officials, Xinhua added.

According to the news report, the deal may allow Canada to export a total of 40 million tons of liquefied shale gas to Japan every year as from around 2020.

The United States is also scheduled to export 6.7 million tons a year of shale gas to Japan as from 2017.